


When the Dead Come Calling

by ArrowFoxx_18



Category: VenturianTale Characters (Web Series)
Genre: Character Turned Into a Ghost, Cheek Kisses, F/M, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Gay Couple, Ghost Huntings, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Johnny Toast Needs some love, M/M, Possession, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kisses, Spirit Summoning, Straight couple, Written for a Class, some violence, spiritual possession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-10-27 00:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17756642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrowFoxx_18/pseuds/ArrowFoxx_18
Summary: The P.I.E. (Paranormal Investigators Extraordinaire) is flourishing more than ever. The small team of friends and frienemies have met success at last. But unfortunately, good things can't last forever...Maxwell Acachala has returned, and he wants vengeance on the young man who banished him to the 13th dimension - Johnny Ghost. And what better way of doing so than unleashing his darker side, Jimmy Casket?Now Johnny Toast and Aurora Foxx are on a race to save their friend. And Rory may risk losing the love of her life...for good.





	1. The Glass Ghost

     Aurora shuddered as she felt the traces of cobwebs cling to her skin. The hallways were dark and damp, and there was a faint, stagnant scent of mold in the air. A chilly breeze blew through the cracks in the walls, causing Rory’s jacket to flutter around her. “Why do ghosts always choose creepy, gross houses to haunt?” she asked aloud.

     Her partner, Johnathan Toast, paused and thought about her question. “I don’t think they choose to live in places like this,” he began. “I think the house becomes this way because of the ghost. No one wants to live in a haunted house, so it becomes decrepit from its lack of residents.”

    “If I were a ghost, I’d live in a beach house on the shore. Nothing but sunshine and fresh air for me,” Rory stated, combing her fingers through her blonde hair.

    Johnathan laughed. “That sounds lovely,” he agreed. The two continued on, shining their flashlights on the walls. The Roswell Mansion was indeed a disgusting place. After years of being uninhabited, the house was falling apart. A thick layer of dust coated every surface, and cobwebs lurked in every corner. All of the furniture was covered in a dusty white sheet, which added to the tension that hung in the air. The mansion was suspected to be haunted in the town of Jackson. Everyone told the paranormal investigators of the screams and groans that could be heard even outside. There was definitely something wrong with the house.

    But tonight, all was silent. There weren’t any screams or howls – not even the creaking of a door. The only sounds to be heard were Rory and Johnathan’s footsteps.

    “I’m starting to think we’re wasting our time,” Aurora sighed. The group had been there for hours, searching for anything that would warrant a paranormal investigator.

    “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?” Johnathan nodded. “Do you suppose we should find the others?”

   “Most likely. Or, we could always leave and go get pancakes,” Rory suggested, raising her eyebrows. Johnathan laughed once more shaking his head.

   “That’s a very tempting offer, Miss Foxx. But I think the others might need our help.”

   Rory tipped her head. “True. Leaving Fred Spooker and Colin here by themselves is a pretty bad idea.” The two started off down the hall again, chatting quietly but also keeping an eye out for anything supernatural. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream pierced the air, causing Rory’s skin to prickle. “That sounded like Spooker!”

   “Come on,” Johnathan urged, picking up his pace. He and Rory sprinted down corridors and rounded corners, trying to reach their friend. The sounds of Spooker’s screams and pleads grew louder as Rory and Johnathan got closer. They turned yet another corner and down another hallway, this one lined with dozens of doors. Rory ran past one, then halted when she heard Spooker’s cries inside.

   “Here!” she called to Johnathan. She tried to open the door, but to her dismay, the handle refused to turn. “It’s jammed!” she cried in distress.

   “Stand back,” Johnathan ordered. Rory turned to see him standing against the wall. She ducked out of his path as he rammed against the door. It burst open, and Rory rushed into the room behind him. The first thing she noticed was Colin’s body lying motionless on the ground, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Then her eyes darted to Spooker, who was cowering against the wall, knees drawn to his chest. He held his arms above his head for protection, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Tears of desperation and fear streamed down his cheeks. A figure made entirely of glass stood towering over him. Upon Rory and Johnathan’s entry, it froze and turned to them, allowing Spooker to scamper out from behind it and over to his friends.

   “Please,” came a voice from the glassy figure, “please listen!” Its voice tinkled like a dozen crystals being thrown together. It was a lovely, musical sound that might have made the spirit less intimidating, had it not towered over the investigators.

   “What do you want?” Rory asked. Beside her, Johnathan began to slowly inch towards the creature. His hand trailed to his bag, where he kept vials of holy water, silver chains, salt, and a pair of iron knuckles.

   The spirit whimpered pitifully; the sound echoed throughout the room. “Please listen to me,” it cried.

   Rory raised her hands in a peaceful manner. “We’re listening. You can trust us – we’re here to help you.”

   “I was sent to warn you. You must save yourselves before it’s too late.” The spirit began to quiver violently, the tinkling of glass getting louder and higher in pitch. Johnathan was dangerously close now; Rory could see him through the spirit’s figure.

   “Save ourselves from what?” Rory asked. She was actually concerned now. What had cause this ghost so much trauma?

   The glass ghost was quaking now. Its influence was so strong, it was causing Aurora’s flash light to flicker. Small objects had begun to float, and depending on the spirit’s strength, larger objects would soon follow. “He sent me to tell you that he has returned. He says he will not rest until everything you stand for – everything you love – has been destroyed.”

   “Who? Who is this ‘he’?” The spirit opened its mouth to speak, but instead let out a blood-freezing howl as Johnathan doused it with salt and holy water. The lights flickered violently, everything began to levitate, and the ghost convulsed uncontrollably. Shards of glass embedded themselves in every surface, and Rory felt a burning pain as one of the pieces slid against the skin of her arm. The wraith screamed hellishly. Spooker grabbed Rory’s arm and pulled her into him. They fell to the floor, covering the other’s body with their own. The last thing Rory saw before ducking her head and closing her eyes was Johnathan plunging a cross necklace into the spirit.

   There was a bright flash of light and one last hair-raising scream, then it all went quiet and still. Rory opened her eyes once more and raised her head. The ghost was gone, its only remnant was a small shard of glass where it once stood.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the mission successfully completed, the P.I.E team heads home. But what will Rory do when she finds an...unwelcome surprise?

       Rory stood shakily, Spooker clinging to her arm for support. Johnathan stood in the center of the room, breathing heavily. There was a cut on his right cheek that was bleeding profusely, and his jet black hair was tousled. His eyes met Rory's, and he asked softly, “Are you all right?”

     Rory nodded, then turned to Spooker. The young man was shaking like a leaf. He had a few cuts on his arm where the glass had struck him. He glanced up from the floor and gave Rory a smile. “I'm okay,” he said softly. “I'm more worried about Colin.”

     There was a pained groan from the corner where Colin lay. The trio looked over to see Colin sit up, clutching his head. “Colin!” Aurora exclaimed. She crouched beside him, a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

     A shudder went up Colin's spine, and he paled rapidly. He leaned away from Rory, retching. Bile spewed from his mouth onto the floor. There was a sound of disgust from Spooker, and Johnathan wrinkled his nose at the unpleasant smell. Finally, after a few gags, Colin turned back to the team. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he clutched his stomach weakly. “I feel like my intestines got shoved in a meat grinder,” he mumbled. Spooker sat beside Colin and wrapped his arms around him. Colin leaned into Spooker, resting his head on his friend's shoulder.

     Rory smiled at the two, then turned to Johnathan. “What was that?” she asked.

     Johnathan glanced up from his notebook. “A level ten vengeful spirit by the looks of it,” he explained. “Not powerful enough to be a demon, too violent to be a wandering spirit, and too corporeal to be a poltergeist.” He stowed the notebook in his bag once more.

     Rory shook her head. “I mean, what was that about? All the warnings and cryptic messages.”

     Johnathan frowned, thinking. “I have no idea,” he confessed. “It's possible it was trying to scare us into leaving it alone. I can't say I approve of its method, but it nearly worked, didn't it? I know I was certainly terrified.”

     Rory nodded, but she still had a lingering feeling of suspicion on her mind. She shook it away and looked at Colin. “Are you okay to walk?”

     Colin stood on unsteady legs, leaning on Spooker's offered arm for support. “I think so,” he said. He took a few experimental steps towards the door, then turned back to Rory and nodded.

     “Then I suppose we'd better head back to headquarters. We've been out all night,” Johnathan said as he joined the group. He led the way to the door, followed by Spooker and Colin.

     Rory brought up the rear, but before leaving, she glanced back at the shard of glass on the floor. The ghost's words echoed in her head, and she shivered as chills went up her spine. She turned and stepped through the door, closing it behind her with a click.

* * *

 

     The drive back to Asheboro was a quiet one. Everyone was silent, save for Spooker's whimpers of pain from the backseat. Johnathan was busy, focused on the road while Rory rode shotgun, lost in thought. Thoughts and ideas muddled together as she closed her eyes. Rory was incredibly tired, and from the look of the rest of the team, she wasn't the only one. Relief washed over her when they finally pulled into the company driveway.

     Johnathan parked in the garage, killed the engine, and sighed. He rubbed his eyes. “What should we tell Johnny?” he finally spoke, his voice muffled. Rory glanced over at him. Usually, Johnathan could be considered handsome, with his slicked-back black hair and relaxed smile. But tonight, he just looked exhausted – like a man at the end of his wits.

     “The truth,” Rory stated. “We'll just leave out all the cryptic stuff. No need to freak him out over nothing.” The team nodded and began to disperse. Spooker and Colin headed inside, leaving Rory and Johnathan to unload the equipment. They opened the back and lifted out crates of vials filled with holy water.

      “Well,” Johnathan began, breaking the silence, “I am going to get totally shit-faced.” He grinned at Rory. “Care to join me?”

     “No thanks,” she declined. “I don't drink.” She set a box on the ground. “Why don't you go inside? I'll take care of this.”

     Johnathan frowned. “That wouldn't be very chivalrous. What kind of gentleman do you suppose I am?” He froze as Rory placed a hand on his arm.

     “You've been plenty 'chivalrous' today. Go rest; I'll handle this.” She gestured to the boxes on the ground and smiled when Johnathan nodded. She watched him go inside, then sighed and got to work. She pushed the crates up against the wall and began to stack them on the shelves when she heard a noise behind her. She sighed and turned. “Johnathan, I thought I told you to go inside-” She trailed off when she noticed the person behind her. It wasn't Rory's trusted friend; instead, the man who stood there was a ghost with a devilish smile. He wore a cowboy hat that covered his eyes.

     “Hello, Aurora,” he greeted in a distinct southern accent. Rory's hand fell to her waist where a vial of holy water rested in its place on her belt. The ghost rolled his eyes and flicked his hand, sending the glass bottle flying. It smashed against the wall, and Rory stumbled back against the shelf. “Who are you?”

     The ghost frowned. “Didn't you listen to my messenger?” He noticed the look of understanding dawning on Rory's face. “You destroyed him, dintcha?”

     “You sent the glass ghost?”

     “Of course. Only way I could get y'all to listen.” The man sighed in exasperation, then shrugged. “Oh well, I guess you'll have to do. I have a little message for your boss, sweetheart. Mind deliverin' it for me?”

     Rory scowled darkly. “Do it yourself if you're brave enough.”

     The ghost laughed. “Oh, I like you. Such spunk. Anyways, I'm not really ready for the afterlife yet – still have some havoc to create here on Earth. But you can tell him for me, cantcha?” He grinned and snapped his fingers. A single gold coin appeared out of thin air, and Rory caught it in her palm. She stared down at it in confusion, then up at the ghost, who was now inches away from her face.

     “Tell Johnny Ghost,” he began in a whisper, “that Maxwell Acachalla has returned.”


End file.
